Tire for cycles or other road-vehicles.



N0.4 664,035. Patented Dec. I8, |900.

TQ B'URRELL. TIRE FR CYCLES R'THE-R ROAD VEHICLES. (Application med .my2o, 1900.- (N0 M0081.) Sheets- Sheet I.

No. $64,035:., Patented nec. ls, |900. T.. Burman..

TIRE FOR CYCLES 0R OTHER ROAD VEHICLES.

'Jul 2 19 o.)

(Application led y 0, O

(No' Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BURRELL, OF NORTH MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.-

TIRE FOR CYCLES OR OTHER ROAD-VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,035, dated December18, 1900.

Application filed July 20, 1900. Serial No. 24,325. (No model.)

To aJ/Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BURRELL, stone-mason, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain, residing at No. 193 Abbotsford street, NorthMelbourne, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented an ImprovedTire for Cycles or other Road-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has been devised. in order to provide a tire-which Willsupersede the pneumatic tires at present in use on cycles and otherroad-vehicles and which will not possess the defects inherent in suchtires. Foremost among these defects the annoyances caused by puncturestand first, While the necessity for blowing up or inflating the tiresis also a constant source of annoyance to cyclists and other users ofvehicles fitted with'pneumatic tires. It has been proposed to usevarious modifications of cushion-tire; but these have not in practicebeen found to be satisfactory, owing to various causes, one being theirexpense and another their excessive weight. Now this invention has beendevised in order to remedy these various defects by providing a tirewhich, While being compara- -tively inexpensive, will be light andsufficiently resilient to make the vehicle run noiselessly and smoothlyover ordinary roads and which will also be durable and unaffected bypuncture.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood, it will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which-` Figure1 is a vertical and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of a spherical orspheroidal blockY of cork or other equivalent resilient compressiblematerial used in the construction of this improved tire, while Figs. 3and 4 are similar views illustrating a series of said blocks in positionand coated with vulcanized rubber or other material. Figs. 5 to 9 arevarious views illustrating modifications of the tire.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same orcorresponding parts throughout the figures.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. l to 4, A A represent a numberof spherical or spheroidal blocks of cork or other equivalent resilientcompressible material, each having a comparatively large hole B formedor bored transversely through it and having a cupshaped or concaverecess C on one side corresponding to the convex contour of theadjoining block. A number of these pieces or blocks are placed side byside, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, with the periphery of each blockresting within or bearing against the cup-sh aped or concave recess C inthe side of the next one to it, said recesses serving to assist inmaintaining the blocks in their proper relative positions, and yetallowing a certain amount of play between the various constituentelements of the tire. The ring of blocks thus formed is suitablyenveloped or cased, preferably, in rubber D, and the interior of theholes B are also coated, thereby excluding dust, dirt, and moisture andat at the same time serving to retain the various blocks in their properposition in a neat and regular ring. The rubber is preferablyvulcanized, and owing to the thickness of said material in thetriangular spaces left between the adjacent blocks there is a certainamount of give longitudinally within the tire, which enables it to besprung into position around the rims of bicycle or other wheels ofroad-vehicles.

Prior to being coated with rubber the cork blocks may, if preferred, becoated with a vegetable or animal oil or other greasy substance Whichwill act as a preservative and prevent the cork becoming perished orhard.

If preferred, the tire constructed as above described may be inclosedWithin an outer cover or casing, which can be attached to the rim of thewheel in any convenient manner. For instance, what are known as Dunlopcovers can be employed, while a suitable kind of rim is that known asthe Westwood rim, or instead of using a detachable cover, as abovementioned, the periphery of the tire might be covered with awearing-strip of any suitable material, as illustrated at E.

The holes B through the blocks of cork in the arrangement abovedescribed are preferably arranged to extend transversely through thetire, and in any case must not be radial. They can, as hereinafterdescribed, be arranged longitudinally, f desired.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 can be modified, asillustrated in Fig. 5, the alternate blocks of cork being spherical orspheroidal, without any cup-shaped or con- IOC cave recesses C, whilethe intermediate blocks are formed with such recesses C on each side,the recessed and non-recessed blocks being arranged alternately, asclearly illustrated in said gure. Again, as illustrated in Fig. 6, theholes through some of the blocks may be trans- Verse and through otherslongitudinal of the tire, and said blocks may be alternately spheroidaland cylindrical, as shown in said figure, or, ifpreferred, asillustrated in Fig. 7, they may all be cylindrical and have longitudinalor axial holes through them, the ends of the blocks being convex andcup-shaped or concave alternately, or, as illustrated in Fig. S, thealternate cylindrical blocks may be made with both ends convex orconcave. As a further modification the ends of the blocks may be shapedas illustrated in Fig. 9, With a slight convex projection fitting into acorrespondingly shaped and sized cup-shaped or concave recess in theadjacent end of the next block.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim isl. A tire for cycles and other road-vehicles consistingof blocks of cork or other equivalent resilient compressible materialhaving holes therethrough and having their adjacent sides formed so thatthey will interlock or fit together to form a ring which is enveloped inrubber substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

2. In a tire a number of spherical or spheroidal blocks of cork or otherequivalent resilient compressible material each having a comparativelylarge hole bored transversely therethrough and each formed with acupshaped or concave recess on one side (as C) corresponding to thecontour of the adjoining block substantially as and for the purposesherein described.

THOMAS BURRELL. Witnesses:

WALTER SMYTHE BAYsToN, EDWIN WILSON.

